Professor Layton and the Town of Nightmares
by MissAntique
Summary: Professor Layton, Luke, and Emmy are stranded in an unknown town after the Laytonmobile is stopped by a creature, known by the locals as the Nightmare. With terrifying occurrences revealing their worst fears, will the trio be able to stop this new villain and save the town?
1. A Terrifying Encounter

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Okay, I know I am in the middle of writing Through the Top Hat, but I have had this idea for this fanfic for a long while now, and I keep getting ideas for it, so I decided I'm going ahead and writing it. I'm not going to stop writing Through the Top Hat, and I promise to continue to update it often. Anyway, enjoy chapter 1!**_

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**-Chapter 1: A terrifying encounter-**

Luke glanced outside at the star filled night sky before he let out a loud yawn. "How far away is London, Professor?"

Layton chuckled from the driver's seat. "I'd say about two hours away, my boy."

"I didn't realize your friend lived so far away, Professor. We've been riding for nearly three hours now." Emmy stretched her arms. She had never been so happy for the Laytonmobile's tall roof. She stifled a yawn and leaned her head back against the passenger's seat.

"That was some mystery though." Luke said. "I would have never guessed that the maid was behind everything."

Emmy laughed. "I told you she was acting odd. I wasn't expecting her to try and kill us though."

"At least you didn't get locked in the cellar." Luke shuddered as he recalled his lonely time there.

Emmy yawned again and closed her eyes. "Yeah...just glad it wasn't me, second assistant."

"Hmph. Apprentice number one." Luke stated with less emphasis than usual as he closed his eyes as well.

Layton laughed at his companions, both tired from the long ride back home. He could hear their breathing heavy as the two began to drift off to sleep. He had a feeling he would be spending the next two hours alone with his thoughts.

It had started thundering and lightning in the distance when the Professor entered the woods. He had been driving for twenty minutes, when he began to hear a low whistle. He heard Emmy stir next to him and mutter something about tea. Layton shook his head, sure he had imagined it, when the Laytonmobile suddenly jerked to a stop. Emmy awoke with a gasp, as her head nearly slammed into the dashboard.

"What happened?" Luke asked drearily as he debated if he was dreaming or not.

"Did we hit something?" Emmy questioned.

"I'm not sure. I didn't see anything." Layton responded.

The Laytonmobile's engine shut off without warning. The trio sat in silence and looked out the window hoping to spot something that would explain the strange happenings. Their only light was the occasional lightning flashes.

"I don't like this." Luke muttered.

Emmy noticed movement on her side of the car. She turned in attempt to see what it was, when the window cracked and shattered. Emmy quickly shielded her face from the glass and felt the Professor pull her away from the window. She felt another hand on her arm and quickly looked to see what had hold of her. Luke whimpered and scooted back as far away as he could.

A white, bony hand was grasping Emmy's wrist. The owner of the hand was a skeleton, its arms scrawny and lifeless. It's body was covered by a ripped, black cloak, making it appear like the grim reaper. The skeleton stared back at her with green, bloodshot eyes, which made it even more terrifying. It smiled a murderous smile, dark red liquid flowing down its chin, leaving its captives speechless. It held a bloody knife in its spare hand, and slowly raised it next to its face.

"Are you scared?" It whispered with a low, nightmarish voice.

Emmy gulped as it moved closer to her and the Professor, drops of blood from the knife staining Emmy's yellow coat. Emmy broke out of her scared state and kicked the skeleton's hand holding the knife. It grunted and released its grip on the knife, still holding Emmy with its other hand. She attempted to shake the creature off her arm as it continued to move closer, giving off a reeking smell of death. Emmy tried not to choke on the horrible scent in the air, as she managed to kick the skeleton in the chest. It let out a horrifying screech as it released her. It quickly moved out of the car and stood outside, giving an irritated look to the occupants inside.

The creature's frown turned into a creepy smile, as it cocked its head to the side with a loud, sickening "crack."

"Feisty, I haven't encountered one of those yet. This should be interesting," It hissed.

Emmy backed up towards the Professor, her legs ready to kick the sinister beast if necessary. Layton held Emmy close as they waited for the creature's next move.

Lightning flashed, and in a second the creature vanished. "W-Where did it go?" Luke questioned.

Another crash sounded as both windows by Layton and Luke exploded. The trio covered their heads for protection as shards flew in all directions. The skeleton's deranged laughter was heard behind them. Luke jerked his head around and shrieked as the creature grabbed for him. Luke scrambled to the other side of the car, just missing the creature's sharp knife.

"Luke!" Layton exclaimed.

The skeleton turned back to the Professor and Emmy, both frozen in terror as it advanced on them yet again. The creature grabbed Emmy's arm, and tried to pull her out of the car window. Emmy grabbed hold of the steering wheel as Layton grabbed hold of her waist. The creature managed to open the car door with its spare hand, causing both Layton and Emmy to tumble out.

"No!" Luke screeched.

Emmy yanked her arm out of the skeleton's grasp and kicked it in the jaw when it tried to grab her again. The skeleton's head twisted to the right at an odd and unnatural angle, and it merely smiled. It grabbed its head, jerking it back to it's correct place with another loud "crack."

"This is far from over." It let out an evil laugh and disappeared with a mist of fog that appeared out of nowhere.

Emmy took hard, unsteady breaths as she tried to slow her fast beating heart. Layton wrapped his arms around her as he attempted to steady his own breathing.

"What was that?" Luke asked in a low tone.

"I...I wish I knew..." Layton responded uneasily. He looked down at Emmy, who continued to stare where the creature had stood moments ago, a trickle of blood running from a cut on her cheek. "Are you alright, Emmy?" Layton asked worriedly.

Emmy nodded slightly, but said nothing.

"What are we going to do? The Laytonmobile isn't working!" Luke panicked.

"Calm down, Luke. We'll figure something out." Layton stated as calmly as possible, so he wouldn't add to the poor boy's fright.

"Is...is that...a town?" Emmy murmured.

The Professor and Luke looked ahead and could make out the outline of a few small buildings a few miles away through the thick foliage.

"I don't remember seeing that place last time." Luke stated uneasily.

"Maybe the people there will know what's going on, and let us stay the night." Layton said.

"Lead the way. I'm not staying in the woods with that...thing." Emmy shivered.

Layton helped Emmy up off the ground, then the two helped Luke out of the car, who was extremely shaken up from the encounter. They quickly gathered their things, as they didn't want to stay out in the dark woods. It began to rain as they began their trek to the unknown town.

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_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I hope you enjoyed chapter 1! I will have the next chapter soon! :)**_


	2. The Mysterious Town

**-Chapter 2: The mysterious town-**

"I don't like this," Luke muttered.

The trio had managed to walk to the town in one piece, though they were all soaked from the rain. The Professor, Luke, and Emmy now stood outside a tall, iron gate blocking the entrance. Luckily, the gate was open, allowing them access inside.

"Don't worry, Luke! I'm sure the town won't be as creepy in the morning," Emmy assured. She was already back to her usual, perky self, even after being attacked not even an hour ago.

"Do you think anyone here knows what tried to hurt us?" Luke questioned.

"Only one way to find out," Emmy said as she walked past the gate.

"We should find a hotel before we all catch cold," Layton stated.

"Which way, Professor?" Luke glanced around the gloomy town. Luke hoped that Emmy was correct about the town looking better in the morning. It looked like a ghost town at the moment, and Luke definitely was not a fan of ghosts.

"Let's try this building here. Perhaps someone knows where we might find a hotel," Layton pointed to a tall, grey building to the left.

Emmy led the way as they quickly ran inside the building. They were greeted by a kind looking old lady.

"Hello, may I- Good heavens! You three must be freezing! Here, sit by the fire while I get something hot for you dearies to drink," The lady quickly ushered Emmy and Luke towards the fireplace as Layton chuckled behind them.

"Thank you ma'am. May I ask-" The lady darted into a nearby room before Layton could finish his question.

"She seems nice," Luke concluded.

"At least the people here are hospitable," Emmy added as the Professor sat down next to her.

"Here we are!" The lady exclaimed as she brought forward hot tea.

"Why thank you," Layton nodded.

"No problem at all! We don't need you and your family freezing to death, now do we?" The lady smiled.

Emmy giggled at the woman's statement as Luke smirked. This wasn't the first time someone had made the mistake of them being a family.

"Oh no, we aren't...well, this is my assistant Emmy Altava and my apprentice Luke Triton," Layton hastily corrected, receiving another laugh from Emmy.

The lady blushed as she realized her mistake. "Oh dear, I'm terribly sorry! I just thought... Oh never mind that. I'm Sarah Beadnell, by the way."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, miss Beadnell. I am Hershel Layton, and I've already introduced my companions," Layton glanced back at Emmy and Luke, who were still smiling at the conversation.

Sarah smiled. "Nice to meet you. So, what brings you here?"

Layton adjusted his hat and replied. "Emmy, Luke, and I were returning home from helping a friend, when my car suddenly shut off. We were then attacked by a horrible creature and were left stranded."

"Oh dear...the Nightmare again?" Sarah breathed.

"I'm sorry, did you say 'the Nightmare'?" Emmy asked.

Sarah nodded. "Yes, the Nightmare."

"Do you know of this creature?" Layton questioned.

"Sadly yes," Sarah sighed. "Our town has been seeing a lot of this creature recently. It appeared out of nowhere about three months ago, and it has been reeking havoc on the entire town ever since."

"What does it do?" Luke asked.

"It announced that it's name was 'the Nightmare', which is a title that suits it perfectly." Sarah explained. "The Nightmare is able to make your worst nightmares- your worst fears- come to life. He has managed to scare away half of our population in a short amount of time. No one knows where it came from, nor what it wants." Sarah frowned as she bowed her head.

"Why would someone attack this town?" Emmy wondered.

"I wish I knew," Sarah murmured.

"We need to find out more about the Nightmare," Layton concluded.

"You shouldn't get involved in this!" Sarah exclaimed. "There is no telling how much trouble you will put yourselves into."

"I'm sure we can handle it! We solve mysteries all the time!" Luke loudly announced.

"There hasn't been a case that the great Professor Layton hasn't solved!" Emmy added.

Sarah shook her head. "I think it's suicide to try to expose this monster, but if you truly believe you can help, I'm sure the town would be grateful."

"We would be glad to be of service," Layton smiled.

"Well then, I suppose you need a place to sleep if you plan to stay," Sarah stated. "There is a hotel three buildings over. I'm sure they won't mind you staying for a while."

"Thank you very much, Sarah." Layton responded.

"I hope you stay safe," Sarah added as Layton, Luke, and Emmy exited.

"She seemed nice," Emmy pointed out.

"She acts like my grandmother!" Luke stated with a laugh.

"Let's see if we can get a room at the hotel Sarah mentioned," Layton insisted.

"Lead the way," Emmy instructed with a laugh.

It took ten minutes for the group to reach the hotel, thanks to Luke. Emmy had to practically drag Luke along after he heard a noise nearby. The poor boy hadn't recovered from his fright in the car. After a long persuasion and promises of dessert, Emmy and the Professor finally managed to enter the hotel with a skittish Luke.

"Oh look, customers!"

"Shush, Marcus! You'll scare them away!"

"Oh come on, Lacy! Stop being so mean."

"Hush, both of you!" A woman hissed. She quickly composed herself and walked towards the guests. The woman was no older than thirty, her short, light brown hair bouncing as she approached the group. Her brown eyes sparkled as she quickly smiled and greeted them.

"Hello! My name is Helen!" The woman practically shouted in her excitement.

"Good evening, Miss Helen. My name is Hershel Layton," the Professor stated with a smile.

"Nice to meet you! Would you like a room?" Helen smiled a huge, almost too happy smile.

"Why yes, thank you," Layton answered.

Helen turned to a dark blond haired girl and a black haired boy who sat behind her. They looked like they were both teenagers, and their eyes matched Helen's. "Lacy, go get a key for the room! Marcus, please show our guests there."

Helen turned back to the Professor. "These are my children, Lacy and Marcus. Let me know if they give you any trouble."

Layton nodded as Lacy handed him a key.

"Follow me," Marcus commanded in a bored tone. He quickly led the way to a door and left the three alone to settle in. Layton unlocked the door and allowed Luke and Emmy to enter before he followed them in.

They walked into a medium sized room. There were two beds by the left wall and a large, comfy looking couch sitting against the opposite wall.

"This looks cozy," Emmy placed her damp suitcase beside the bed furthest from the door and sat down.

"There is a couch for once!" Luke exclaimed happily.

Layton chucked at Luke's outburst while Emmy looked at the bathroom.

"We should clean up and get some rest. Tomorrow will be a busy day," Layton stated with a yawn.

"Let's hope the Nightmare doesn't attack us again," Luke muttered.

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_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I hope you enjoyed chapter 2! Sorry if this chapter was a bit slow, but this was more explaining than anything else. I will try to put up chapter 3 soon! :)**_


	3. The Haunted Store

**-Chapter 3: The Haunted Store-**

"Good morning, sleepyhead!"

Luke groaned as he sat up and stretched. He was glad that the Professor insisted that he would sleep on the couch. Luke was loving sleeping on the extra comfy bed.

"Rise and shine, Luke! You've already slept through most of the day!" Emmy announced loudly.

Luke opened his eyes to Emmy hovering over him. "Emmy, could you back up a bit?" Luke pleaded as he felt his personal space was being invaded in that moment.

"As long as you get up, Second Assistant!" Emmy teased.

"Hmph! How many times must I tell you? I'm the Professor's _APPRENTICE_! And I am his _apprentice number one_!" Luke corrected, raising his pointer finger into the air.

Emmy laughed, "Whatever you say, Luke. Now will you get changed already? We won't be able to investigate anything if you don't hurry up!"

Luke glanced around the room and noticed one of the room's occupants missing. "Where is the Professor?"

"Oh, he went to get us something for breakfast." Emmy explained.

Layton walked in with a couple of brown bags containing breakfast immediately after Emmy's explanation. "Ah, good morning, my boy. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, Professor. The bed is quite comfortable!" Luke exclaimed.

"I'll say!" Emmy added as she took the bags out of Layton's hands.

Luke ran in the bathroom to get changed as the Professor and Emmy set out breakfast.

"Where should we head to first?" Emmy asked with a mouthful of eggs.

"Should we ask some more people around town about the Nightmare?" Luke questioned as he took a huge bite out of a piece of bacon.

"I believe asking around a bit more would be our best option," Layton confirmed.

"Wasn't there an old store across the street from the hotel? Maybe someone there will know some information," Emmy suggested.

"That sounds like a good place to start," Layton nodded. "We will leave as soon as you two finish breakfast."

"Well, that might be a while," Luke chuckled.

After Luke and Emmy had managed to eat everything the Professor had bought for breakfast, the three headed out for the store. It wasn't much of a walk, considering it was right across the street. They walked to the front of the old, run down-looking building.

Professor Layton, Emmy, and Luke looked through the window. The store held miscellaneous items, and there wasn't much to look at. There were a few raggedy dresses draped over a clothesline hanging inside. Underneath the dresses was a pair of dirty shoes and a dusty vase. What caught Emmy's eye was an old, forgotten china doll with a filthy, ripped dress, unbrushed hair, and a chipped face.

"That is one scary doll." Emmy muttered.

Luke nodded in agreement. "Where's her left eye?"

Emmy turned to the Professor. "Is it open?"

Layton glanced at the back of the store. "I don't see anyone. Let's try the door."

Luke ran ahead and turned the doorknob, finding the door unlocked. He waltzed in with Emmy and Layton behind him.

"Maybe they forgot to lock up." Luke said.

"May I help you?"

Luke, who was unaware of the man standing behind him, jumped and let out a yelp. Even Emmy seemed surprised by the man's sudden appearance, and his rather raspy voice.

The Professor stepped forward. "Good day, sir. We were wondering if you knew anything about the Nightmare."

The short, grey haired man grunted. "Of course I do! Everyone around here knows about him."

Ignoring the man's sharp reply, Layton pressed on. "What do you know about him?"

"He showed up a few months ago, and has been bothering everyone in the town ever since. No one gets any sleep and business has been terrible. I haven't sold a single thing!" The man grumped in return.

"I don't think the Nightmare is the problem," Emmy whispered to Luke, who let out a chuckle. Layton cleared his throat and glared at his two assistants, who both looked down to avoid his gaze.

Layton turned back to the man. "Do you know anything about his recent appearance?"

The man frowned. "I don't know too much. My wife was able to capture a few photos though. They are in the back if you want to take a look."

"That may prove to be helpful, thank you." Layton responded.

The small man guestured for the Professor to follow him to the back. "Emmy, Luke, you two stay here," Layton commanded. "Oh and please don't break anything," Layton added as Emmy picked up an old tea cup and inspected its dusty appearance.

"Oh come on. I'm not that clumsy!" Emmy complained as the Professor left the room. Luke noticed an old door leading to a storage room. "Hey, Emmy! Look what I found!"

Emmy followed Luke into the old room and grimaced at how horribly cluttered it was. "I think this is worse than the Professor's office. Rosa would refuse to clean this room!"

"It looks like it hasn't been used in a hundred years!" Luke exclaimed.

"It may have been that long. That man certainly isn't a spring chicken."

"Emmy!" Luke exclaimed.

"What? It's true!" Emmy shrugged.

Luke shook his head and found a box filled with random junk. He began rummaging through it in hopes of finding anything of interest.

"Luke, you shouldn't go through other people's things!" Emmy chided. She suddenly squealed with joy as she noticed an antique camera in the corner. "This thing must be older than me!"

"I thought we weren't supposed to go through other people's things," Luke stated with a smirk.

Emmy smiled sheepishly. "Well, maybe that man won't mind. He obviously doesn't come back here often."

Emmy started playing with the old camera as Luke continued to search random boxes. Luke was looking through a box in the corner when he spotted something odd.

"Emmy..." Luke called.

"Did you find something?" Emmy asked.

Luke nodded and held out his hand for Emmy to see. "I think I found the left eye."

The door slammed shut behind them, causing both Luke and Emmy to jump. They turned to see what caused the ruckus. Emmy's eyes grew wide and Luke gasped.

A small figure stood in the way of the door. She wore a filthy dress which was an unknown color due to the grime covering it. Her brown hair was matted and sticking up at odd angles. Her broken face wore a small smile, though what was most noticeable was the cracked, gaping hole where her eye should have been.

"Emmy...Is that..." Luke muttered.

Emmy stared, wide-eyed. "...The china doll?"

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_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I hope you enjoyed chapter 3! I will try to post chapter 4 as soon as possible:)**_


	4. Attack in the Storage Room

**-Chapter 1: Attack in the Storage Room-**

"E-Emmy... What do we do?" Luke asked nervously.

"I-I'm sure there's no need to worry, Luke! Someone must be playing a prank on us," Emmy assumed.

"Who? The doll?" Luke questioned.

"Um..." Emmy muttered.

"Mama?"

"Eeeek! Emmy! It talks!" Luke panicked.

"Calm down, Luke! It's just a do- It just blinked!" Emmy screeched.

Luke and Emmy raced to the corner of the room, both cowering in fear as the doll took a step towards them. Luke hid his face in Emmy's coat while she held out the antique camera, acting like it was some weapon that could protect them.

"Emmy... How do we get out of here?" Luke whispered.

Emmy glanced at the doll, then the door, then the doll again. "Okay, I'll distract the demented doll, while you run out the door and get the Professor," Emmy explained.

"And then what?" Luke questioned.

"We get out of here before she tries to kill us," Emmy answered, sending a glare at the doll, who grew closed every second.

"O-Okay..." Luke agreed uneasily.

"Alright, go!" Emmy ran at the doll while Luke ran for the door. Luke grabbed the handle, turning it quickly-

Then the doorknob broke off.

"Emmy! We're trapped!" Luke exclaimed.

Emmy was currently trying to shake the doll, who was cutting off the circulation of Emmy's right arm, off of her body. "What?!"

"The door handle broke off!" Luke explained.

Emmy managed to throw the doll across the room, making her land on a conveniently placed pillow. "Okay, we need a new plan!"

"And that is?" Luke asked.

Emmy hit the doll with the camera when it came near her again, causing a large piece of glass to fall on the floor. "Give me a minute!"

Emmy gasped in shock when the camera suddenly came to life, wrapping old film around her wrists. Before she knew it, her hands were tied together, and the film was still coming out.

"Emmy!" Luke yelled as the doll latched onto his leg.

"Luke! Hold on!" Emmy exclaimed. The film suddenly wrapped around her mouth, muffling any further commands.

Luke screamed out in pain as the doll dug her glass fingers into his flesh. He tried to pry her off, but nothing seemed to work in that moment. Her could see Emmy still trying to free herself from the camera in the corner of his eye. Then the antique china came into action.

Emmy yelped in pain as a plate slammed into her head, soon followed by countless cups, bowls, and silverware. Luke managed to dodge a fork that nearly stabbed him in the eye, but was then assaulted by spoons. "Emmy help!"

"Mph!" Emmy bumped into a shelf, causing a cascade of old figurines to rain down on her and Luke. Emmy continued to try to release her hands from the camera while Luke fought the doll, who was now on his chest. Glass shattered all around them, hitting them in the face, hands, and any other exposed body part.

"Mama?" The doll asked in a creaky, scratchy voice.

"No, please get off me!" Luke yelled. The doll merely scratched Luke's neck in response, receiving a yell from the boy.

Emmy let out a muffled yelp as a brown coat leapt out of a box and tried to choke her. Luke felt a box slam into his back, knocking him to the ground. The doll held onto Luke's face, while the remaining figurines, which Emmy hadn't broken, proceeded to cling onto the poor boys body.

Emmy noticed Luke's predicament, and quickly managed to release the coat from her neck, breathing heavily after the struggle. She tried to pull her wrists and break the film, but found it too strong. She noticed a knife in the corner of the room, and ran to retrieve it.

"Emmy!" Luke screamed. "They are hurting me!"

Luke was laying in a fetal position as the doll and her companions continued to claw at him. He looked up and noticed the doll was now holding a knife, aiming it a Luke's face. He felt a tear trickle down his face as he closed his eyes tightly.

"Emmy!"

Luke heard a bump, followed by a loud crash. He felt a hand brush off the figurines, who were still holding onto him. He looked up to the smiling face of Emmy, sending up a small smile in return. She helped him up, then pointed at the shattered remains of the doll.

"Mama..." The doll stammered before silencing forever.

Luke fell against Emmy, completely shaken and tired. "You alright there, Luke?" She asked.

"I will be. Can we please get out of here now?" Luke whimpered.

Emmy wrapped an arm around his shoulders as a bookshelf fell down, landing on the dolls remains. The door then opened behind them.

"What on earth happened to my storage room!" The old man exclaimed.

The Professor stood behind him, his eyes wide as he noticed the shattered glass, misplaced shelves and boxes, and his cut and bruised assistants. "What happened to you two?"

"That scary china doll attacked us!" Luke explained.

"And then everything not nailed down in this room joined in!" Emmy added.

"Not again..." The old man mumbled.

"What was that?" Emmy questioned.

"This has happened before, I'm afraid," The man sighed. "My wife came in here one night, and she claimed that this room came to life. She came out and was badly injured. She refuses to come to the shop now."

"Wait, so the shop has attacked someone before?" Luke asked.

The man nodded. "Sadly, yes. My wife Sarah was the first to be attacked. You two are the second."

"Wait, your Sarah Beadnell's husband?" Emmy asked.

"Yes, that's correct," The man answered. "My name is Thomas."

"So that's why Sarah was against us solving this mystery," Emmy realized.

"She doesn't like to talk about this Nightmare nonsense. She would rather stay home and hope it ends soon," Thomas explained.

"The Nightmare must be keeping the residents here on edge," Layton stated.

"No one has acted the same since that monster appeared here," Thomas growled. "I wish you the best of luck with this case. As your friends can already tell, this will not be an easy task."

"Thank you, Thomas," Layton nodded. "Now if you don't mind, I believe Emmy and Luke may want to leave this room."

"Please!" Luke proclaimed loudly.

"Of course," Thomas smiled for the first time. "Good luck out there."

Layton adjusted his top hat as he ushered Luke and Emmy out of the store. "Are you two alright?"

"I've been better," Emmy answered.

"I never want to see another doll ever again..." Luke murmured.

"I agree with that!" Emmy exclaimed.

"Why don't we head back to the hotel and examine these photos Thomas gave us. I'm sure you two need to rest," Layton explained. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine, Professor!" Luke smiled.

"That doll and her friends were no match for Professor Layton's number one assistant!" Emmy smirked.

"What about me?" Luke asked.

"Well, you helped Second Assistant," Emmy stated.

"Apprentice, Emmy! APPRENTICE! And that's Apprentice number one to you!" Luke corrected.

Emmy laughed as Luke continued to rant. Layton smirked and shook his head. Luke and Emmy had just been trapped in a storage closet and attacked by the items inside it, yet here they were, teasing and laughing. The two never ceased to amuse him.

Layton opened the door to the hotel, allowing Emmy and Luke to walk in first. They headed in the direction of their hotel room, which was a bit difficult to find due to the establishment's large size. After several minutes of wandering, Emmy managed to spot their room, and the three finally made it inside.

"Let's take a look at those photos, Professor!" Luke exclaimed.

The Professor opened the envelope Thomas had given him and pulled out the photos. The trio huddled together to take a look.

The first picture was a cloaked figure, it's back facing the camera lens. The second picture had the figure facing the camera, green eyes glowing, sinister smile spread across its face, and a bony hand outstretched towards the lens.

"That's definitely the thing that attacked us," Emmy confirmed.

"It's scarier in person..." Luke mumbled.

Layton flipped to the next photo, audibly gasping. The scene in the picture was not a pretty one. Several people were running away from a hoard of bats, looks of pure terror spread across their faces. The bats eyes grew unmistakably red, casting an eerie glow on their victims.

"Wait, the bats began attacking people?" Luke questioned.

"That appears to be the case," Layton answered.

"So the Nightmare does a lot more than attack people himself. That's nice to know..." Emmy murmured.

Layton flipped to the next picture. This time people ran as lighting rained from the sky, striking the ground and leaving huge holes everywhere. A couple people were lying on the ground as if the lighting had struck them. A fire was breaking loose in the corner, and the Nightmares smiling face hovered above it.

"Oh my..." Layton muttered in shock.

"Those poor people..." Emmy added.

Layton flipped to the last picture, which was nothing but a blur. Layton guessed that the photographer was running away when they took this photo.

"Well, now that we know what the Nightmare is capable of, we need to be extra careful," Layton explained in a serious tone.

Emmy and Luke both nodded. They didn't want to cross this sinister monster again.

"Just what is the Nightmare?" Emmy wondered.

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_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I hope you enjoyed chapter 4! I kinda feel bad for locking my two favorite characters in a storage room with a doll. Please forgive me guys! Anyways, I will post chapter 5 soon! :)**_


	5. The Infested Office

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Just a heads up, I'm leaving for Florida tomorrow, and I won't get the chance to update until I get back sometime next week. I promise I will have chapter 6 posted when I return! :)**_

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**-The Infested Office-**

"This looks like the place," Emmy confirmed, holding up the photo to compare it to the building in front of them.

After viewing the pictures Thomas had given them, the Professor, Luke, and Emmy decided they would gather information from eye witnesses who had seen the events portrayed in the photos. Each picture was taken in the same location, directly in front of an old town hall.

"Do you think the mayor witnessed anything?" Luke asked.

"There is only one way to find out, my boy," Layton walked up a set of steps, entering the town hall's entrance.

The trio stepped into a dimly lit room, filled with only a handful of furniture, creating a small waiting area. A large front desk took up most of the room on the inside. A young blonde with a bored expression stood behind the desk. She perked up a bit upon noticing the new arrivals.

"Oh hello! I'm Carrie! Can I help you with anything?"

"Hello, I am Professor Layton, and these are my assistants Luke and Emmy. We were wondering of you had witnessed any of these events." Layton handed Carrie the photos.

"I'm sorry, I don't recall seeing any of these events. I remember the results of the lighting storm though. My friend was one of the unfortunate victims..." Carrie paused to wipe away a tear.

"I'm terribly sorry for your loss," Layton sympathized.

"Oh it's alright," Carrie smiled. "I would ask the mayor more about these photos. He's in the back, here I'll take you to him."

Carrie ushered the group to the back, where they met the mayor. He was a tall and slim man, and his messy, brown hair stood up in the front. His blue eyes showed sighns of distress, though who wouldn't after dealing with the Nightmare's chaos.

"Ah, hello," The mayor greeted.

"This here is Professor Layton and his friends. He was asking about the Nightmare's more recent events," Carrie explained.

"Oh really? I will be happy to answer any questions you have," The mayor answered.

"Thank you, sir," Layton smiled, reaching up and adjusting his top hat.

"Anytime," The mayor responded.

Carrie exited while Layton showed the mayor the photos. "Ah yes, I was there during this. Terrible events! Many people were injured, and there were a couple deaths. We lost half our residents after that," the mayor explained.

"That's horrible," Emmy muttered.

"It was. No one has acted the same since those events. It has been quite difficult to help the town with all that is happening. I fear I haven't been capable of helping the public," The mayor sighed.

"Whoops!" Carrie suddenly slipped and landed on her stomach on the floor. A large pile of papers flew above her and landed all across the room. She blushed as Emmy bent down to help her pick up the scattered papers.

"Sorry, sir..." Carrie apologized.

"It's alright, Carrie," The mayor smiled, shaking his head. "I have had Carrie to help me. I don't know where I would be without her."

Carrie blushed again as she and Emmy gathered the remaining papers. "Thank you!" She exclaimed.

"You're welcome," Emmy smiled. "Where do I need to put these?"

"I'll take them. I was about to return them to the archives down the hall," Carrie explained.

"Don't worry, I'll take them for you. Which way?" Emmy asked.

Carrie smiled. "Why thank you! Down the hall, take a right, then a left. Third door on the right."

Emmy nodded and followed Carrie's instructions, leaving the Professor and Luke to continue the discussion with the mayor. Once she found the room, she was shocked at how disorganized it was. "Apparently everyone in this town is messy," Emmy summed up.

She placed the papers on a table in the corner and exited. Emmy began her walk back, and somehow managed to take a wrong turn. "Oh great, where am I?" Emmy questioned.

Emmy wandered down countless halls for a few minutes, becoming even more lost the further she went. "Professor? Where are you?" Emmy called out, still unaware of where she currently was.

"Where is everyone? How did I miss the front desk?" Emmy asked herself. She continued to walk until she found a door which was partially ajar. She could see movement, and decided to check on what was inside.

Emmy nearly fainted when she discovered what was inhabiting the inside of the room. The entire room was covered in spiderwebs, complete with hundreds of tiny, black arachnids. Emmy looked on with horror. She wasn't particularly scared of many things, but spiders, well, let's just say she despised the little devils.

Emmy couldn't help but shiver as she watched the eight-legged demons spin webs and suck out the insides of unsuspecting insects. A few of the monsters decided to crawl near their new possible prey, and Emmy took this as her cue to high-tail out of there.

She quickly turned with plans to run out as fast as she could, but was shocked to find the door shut. 'When did the door close?' Emmy's mind practically screamed.

Emmy grabbed for the door and whimpered as she found it locked. She turned back around, shaking and loosing her footing as she realized one thing-

_Emmy Altava, Professor Layton's arachnophobic assistant, was trapped in a spider infested room._

Emmy returned to the door, pounding and yelling as she tried desperately to escape. She could feel her heart rate quicken as she realized the door would not budge. Emmy yelled for someone to let her out, but she couldn't hear anyone near.

_What if no one hears me? What if they can't get me out? What if the spiders suck out my insides and the Professor finds nothing more than my lifeless corpse?! _Emmy shuddered at the thought, quickly trying to abandon it. The Professor would find her, and she would get out of here. Alive.

Emmy felt something sticky touch her wrist. She swatted it away, only to find that it was spider webbing. She tried to wipe it off, but only made matters worse as her arm tangled in the webs. Emmy swatted, kicked, and screamed as she intertwined in the webs . Moments after struggling, Emmy found herself entangled and unable to free herself from the unnaturally strong webs.

"These things are really tight!" Emmy exclaimed as she continued her attempt to break free, but to no avail.

Apparently believing Emmy would be quite a befitting meal, the eight-legged menaces began to crawl near her frozen form. Emmy felt her stomach turn in knots as the bloodthirsty creatures began to crawl on her arms and up her legs. Her usual fearless nature was gone, and replaced by pure terror as she felt her body slowly become infested with spiders. Emmy finally lost it and began screaming at the top of her lungs.

-o-

"PROFESSOR!"

Layton was immediately alert as he heard his name desperately being called.

"Professor? Was that-" Luke began, but was cut off as his mentor ran towards the direction of the scream.

Layton could hear Luke call his name behind him, but he refused to slow down. He could have sworn that the scream belonged to Emmy, but surely it wasn't her. Emmy was always right by his side when danger approached, always surprising the Professor with her determination and brave actions.

Surely his feisty, fearless, and witty assistant wouldn't be calling his name in such a panic. If Emmy was suddenly terrified, then something must be terribly wrong. He just hoped he wasn't too late..

"Professor! Help!" Emmy screeched.

"I'm coming! Hold on, Emmy!" Layton ran at a terrific speed as he tried to find his assistant's whereabouts.

"Please help me!"

Layton heard Emmy's pleading voice coming from behind a door up ahead. He quickly tried the door, only to find a piece of wood had been jammed in the lock so it wouldn't open. The Professor pried the wood out of the lock, giving himself a splinter in the process, before he finally managed to unlock the door. He flung the door open and found Emmy trapped inside.

"Professor!" Emmy yelled out in relief. Her forehead was beaded with sweat, and small tears ran down her cheeks. Her eyes were as big as saucers, and she squirmed as tiny, black figures crawled all over her.

Layton suddenly remembered Emmy's arachnophobia. _No wonder she was so panicked._

Layton acted quickly, flicking the spiders off of Emmy's arms and legs and trying to remove the sticky, rope-like webs bonding her. After a minute or two, Layton had successfully removed the webs restraining his assistant, and flicked the remaining spiders off of Emmy's shaking form.

Once she was free, Emmy jumped on the Professor, her arms tightly wrapped around his neck, and her face hidden in his shirt. Layton could feel her pounding heart, and he held her close as she whimpered against his jacket. He carefully carried Emmy out of the room as she continued to shiver vigorously.

Luke finally managed to catch up to the Professor and stood with his mouth agape when he noticed Layton cradling Emmy's shaken form. Luke glanced behind them, noticing the spider infested room, and put two and two together.

"Emmy? Are you alright?" Luke asked unsurely.

Emmy slowly turned away from the comfort of Layton's shirt to look at the startled boy. Luke noticed her face was slightly wet from where Emmy was apparently crying. She shook her head in response, then returned to the Professor's chest.

Carrie and the mayor ran behind Luke. Carrie noticed the spiders and paled immediately. "W-Why are there s-spiders in the b-break room?"

The mayor raised his eyebrows in confusion. "Who would do such a thing? Carrie is terrified of spiders!"

The professor turned to the mayor. "Carrie is afraid of spiders?"

Carrie nodded. "Y-yes..."

Layton shook his head. "I believe someone may be trying to scare you away from the town. They made this trap for you, though Emmy ended up discovering it first." Layton held Emmy closer when she let another whimper slips from her throat.

"Oh my..." Carrie muttered.

"Don't worry, Carrie. I won't let anyone scare you away. I won't be able to keep track of the town if you leave," the mayor frowned.

"That may be why they want to scare me away..." Carrie summed up.

"Oh dear... I'm sorry your assistant ended up in there, Professor!" The mayor turned to Layton, a concerned look plastered on his face.

"It wasn't your fault, though I think we should take Emmy out of here," Layton answered.

"Of course!" The mayor gestured towards the direction of the exit.

"Luke, I think we should return to our hotel room." Layton stated.

"I'll lead the way, Professor," Luke responded immediately.

* * *

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: *Shivers* Heh... I have the creepy crawlies now...I despise spiders so much! XD I hope you enjoyed chapter 5, and I will post chapter 6 once I return from Florida! :D**_


	6. The Nightmare's Revenge

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey guys! I'm back from Florida, and happy to post Chapter 6:) Enjoy!**_

* * *

**-The Nightmare's revenge-**

Luke opened his eyes and looked around. It was dark out, and he didn't see the Professor or Emmy.

"Where is everyone?" Luke asked himself. He remembered returning to the hotel after Emmy and the spider situation. She calmed down after a little while, though she refused to let go of the Professor's shirt. After an hour, the Professor announced that it was late, leaving them to take turns changing into their pajamas in the bathroom. The last thing Luke remembered was the Professor holding Emmy, reassuring her that she was safe from bugs. Where had the two gone?

He got up and walked out of the room. It was hard to see where he was going, so he blindly walked down the hallway and called for his missing friends.

"Luke!"

Luke turned as he heard the Professor's voice. "Professor? Where are you?"

"Luke!"

Luke turned in the other direction as he heard Emmy. "What's going on?"

"Luke! Run!" Layton yelled.

"Get out while you still can!" Emmy added.

Luke looked in the directions of his friends' echoing voices. He didn't know what was wrong, but he did know that they were yelling with desperation and pure terror. He heard a scream coming from Emmy's direction, so Luke ignored their pleas for him to run away.

He walked down the hallway for what felt like forever before he heard another scream. "That couldn't be Emmy, could it?" Luke pondered.

"Get away from me!" Luke heard Emmy yell.

Luke continued down the hallway when he found a door partially opened. He opened the door slowly and was surprised to see Emmy inside.

Emmy's hands were tied together and hung above her head. She had blood on her clothes, though Luke couldn't tell where it came from. She looked terrified as tears ran down her bloody face, and it scared Luke to see her like this. She breathed heavily, and it took great effort for her to simply keep her head up.

The Nightmare was standing in front of her, knife in hand. He hovered over Emmy with the same devious smile plastered on his face. Emmy noticed Luke and yelled for him to run, which in turn, led to the Nightmare jabbing the knife into her shoulder. Emmy screamed out in pain as the monster laughed, his eyes glowing with hungry bloodlust.

The Nightmare held up the knife, his goal set to finish the whimpering woman off, when Luke screamed a bellowing "STOP IT!"

The Nightmare turned to Luke and smiled. "Oh? Would you like to die first?" He asked with an eerie, sing-song voice.

Luke shook his head as the Nightmare advanced on him. He turned and ran as he heard Emmy hysterically scream his name. She screamed one last hair- raising scream, before she remained silent. The Nightmare finally left the room in pursuit of the terrified boy. Luke knew that the worst must have happened to Emmy, and his eyes filled with tears as he ran for his life.

Luke ran for a few minutes and found another room. He opened the door and ran in, slamming it behind him. He felt around for a light, and finally managed the find a lamp. He turned it on and gasped. There were fresh blood stains on the floor which matched the splatters on the wall. Sitting in the middle of the red pool, barely recognizable through the grime, was Professor Layton's hat.

Luke was so scared and shocked that he couldn't even move. He felt his eyes burn with tears as he held in the urge to scream. The door suddenly opened behind him, and he quickly turned around and was met by the Nightmare's horrid smile and bloody knife.

"Are you scared?"

-o-

"Luke! Luke! Wake up!"

"Wake up, my boy!"

Luke watched as the Nightmare slowly began to fade away, taking his knife and murderous look with him. He could have sworn he recognized the voices calling to him. They felt so far away, leaving him barely able to grasp onto the soothing sound.

Realization suddenly hit Luke. Emmy and the Professor were gone. The Nightmare had taken both of their lives. His two closest friends were gone forever, and he did nothing but helplessly watch and run.

"Luke! Please wake up!"

"Luke, it's alright. You're safe."

Could it really be..?

Luke screamed at the top of his lungs and grabbed the closest thing to him. He felt arms wrap around him as he buried his head against the person holding him.

"It's ok, Luke. It was just a bad dream." He heard a female voice whisper in his ear.

Luke slowly opened one eye, then the other. He glanced around a dimly lit room, the only light coming from a small lamp in the corner. He looked up at Emmy who held him close. He noticed the Professor sitting next to her, and he and Emmy shared a worried look.

"Are you okay?" Emmy asked.

Luke shook his head as his eyes filled with tears. "N-no. The N-nightmare tried t-t-to hurt all o-of us, and he k- k- killed both of you!" Luke broke down in tears and hugged Emmy tightly.

Emmy held Luke closer as he continued to cry. "It's ok. We are all fine, see. It wasn't real," She soothed.

Emmy gave the Professor a worried glance as he patted Luke's shoulder. "It's alright, my boy. We are alive and well."

The trio sat for awhile, Emmy holding Luke close as he calmed down and came to his senses. Several minutes passed before the frightened boy finally fell back asleep. Emmy carefully laid Luke down and moved away slowly so she wouldn't wake him. She turned to the Professor.

"This has really shaken him up," Emmy stated nervously.

"It is beginning to take a toll on all of us, I'm afraid," Layton crossed his arms. "We need to figure out just what is going on here."

Emmy nodded. "Hopefully we can solve this mystery before something else happens." She rubbed her arms nervously.

Layton wrapped a supportive arm around Emmy, "I'm sure we can figure this out, my dear."

Emmy managed a small smile and nodded. "I just wish we knew what the Nightmare was planning."

Layton nodded in agreement. "I'm sure it will be clear soon enough. For now, we might as well retire to bed. We don't know what may come next, and we need all the rest we can manage."

Emmy nodded and sleepily walked back to her bed. "Goodnight, Professor."

"Goodnight, Emmy." Layton responded, while returning to his place on the couch.

"Um...Professor?" Emmy mumbled.

"Hm?" Layton responded.

"Are you sure there aren't any bugs in here?"

Layton chuckled. "I'm sure, Emmy. Try to get some rest."

Layton could hear Emmy's soft breaths a moment later, showing that she was already asleep. He stared up at the ceiling, unable to sleep as he pondered over the past events.

_ What is the Nightmare planning?_

-o-

Emmy was sound asleep, dreaming a wonderful dream filled with sweets and a tortured Descole wearing a leotard. She always questioned why her brain decided to go completely insane at this time of night, but she had leaned to live with it by now. However, she was not expecting to dream of something crawling into bed with her.

_Oh gosh...It's a spider! It's a spider! I KNOW IT'S A SPIDER!_

"Eeeek!" Emmy jerked her head up and quickly moved away from the unknown form laying next to her.

"S-Sorry Emmy... I didn't mean to scare you,"

Emmy steadied her breathing as she looked down at the shivering form of Luke. "I-It's alright, Luke, but jeez you nearly gave me a heart attack."

"Sorry..." Luke teared up. "I had another bad dream..."

Emmy sighed as Luke buried his head in her pillow, crying softly. Emmy placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's fine, Luke."

Luke sniffed and looked up at Emmy. "W-Would I be able to s-stay with you tonight?" He asked.

Emmy smiled, pulling Luke into a warm embrace. "Of course."

Luke cried while Emmy gently rubbed his back, mumbling reassuring whispers into his ear.

After a while, Luke fell asleep again, still holding onto Emmy. She smiled as she laid him down next to her. She then followed suit, laying her head down slowly so she wouldn't disturb the sleeping boy. Luke whimpered as he felt movement, and Emmy placed wrapped her arm around his frail form.

"Emmy..." Luke murmured.

"Yes, Luke?"

"Thank you." He stated.

Emmy smiled as Luke drifted back to sleep. She moved a stray strand of hair away from his face, then planted a small kiss on his forehead. She knew Luke was terrified of what had happened thus far, and she was slightly surprised that Luke had come to her for comfort. She felt a sudden urge to protect the poor boy. She wondering if this is what it felt like to be an older sister.

Emmy laughed to herself as she fell back asleep, still cuddling Luke.

* * *

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I hope you enjoyed chapter 6! I will update really soon:)**_


	7. What Lurks in the Hotel

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here's chapter 7! I would like the thank The Mocking J for giving me the idea for the ending of this chapter. Oh, and there will be slight spoilers for PL3. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it! :)**_

* * *

**-What lurks in the hotel-**

Suddenly, a loud crash sounded through the hotel, followed by a deafening, female scream. Emmy knocked Luke off of the bed and into the floor as she jumped awake in alarm, followed by the Professor.

"What was that?" Luke asked, rubbing his now sore backside.

Before anyone could answer, a soft voice began to recite unknown lyrics.

_"No one will play._  
_ No one will stay."_

"Who said that?" Emmy questioned.

_"Whispers all around._  
_Why don't they hear the sound?"_

"This way," Layton commanded, opening the door and allowing the others to exit.

_"Music plays in a melody._  
_How can they not see?"_

Layton, Luke, and Emmy began walking down one of the many halls in the hotel. It was hard to locate the source of the voice, as it echoed throughout the entire building.

_"Tick tock goes the clock._  
_Why do they always mock?"_

"Where is that voice coming from?" Emmy wondered.

_"No one will understand._  
_They won't meet my demand."_

"It sounds like a little girl," Luke pointed out.

"Why would a little girl talk like that? It's horribly creepy." Emmy murmured.

_"Silence fills my ears._  
_No one sees my tears."_

"I think it's coming from this hall," Layton pointed to a hall to the right.

"Let's go then," Luke stated.

The trio walked down the hall and noticed the lights were slowly going out.

"Oh no, this is not good," Emmy said.

The lights faded out completely, leaving them in complete darkness. Emmy felt in front of her and was surprised that she couldn't find Luke, who was in front of her moments ago.

"Professor? Luke? Where are you?" Emmy asked.

_"Why am I so alone?_  
_Frozen like cold stone."_

Emmy jumped as the voice started speaking again. It was louder than before, so Emmy guessed she was close to the source. She felt around until she found a doorknob, turning it and entering a room.

It was very small and completely bare, except for a small candle perched in the middle of the room. The candle provided little light, but it was the only light at the moment. Emmy felt herself draw closer to the sliver of brightness.

_"The dolls won't even speak._  
_Why must they be so meek?"_

The voice sounded like it was coming from this room. "Hello?" Emmy called out.

_"Come."_ An eerie voice called through the dark. Emmy glanced around in hopes of finding its owner.

_"Come."_ The voice called, echoing off the walls, causing the creepy atmosphere to increase rapidly.

Emmy turned around as she heard the voice directly behind her, but all she found was an empty space. "Who's there?"

_"Come play."_

Emmy glanced to her left, then her right, still unable to locate anyone in the room with her. "Where are you?"

_"Come play with me."_

Emmy continued to glance around the room, but was still unable to find anyone in there but herself. "I can't see you."

_"Come play. No one else will play with me."_

Emmy felt guilty as she heard this; she always was sensitive when it came to children. "Will you come out for me?"

Emmy glanced to her right, noticing a young girl for the first time. The girl was barely noticeable through the shadows, but Emmy could just make out the outline of her curly, chestnut colored hair. "Please play with me."

Emmy smiled at the girl. "Who are you?"

"Caroline." the girl answered in a wavering tone, making her resemble a lost kitten. "Will you play with me?"

Emmy took a few steps towards the shaky figure, smiling warmly, making sure she didn't frighten Caroline. "Are you lost?"

"I don't know. Am I lost?" Caroline looked confused.

"Here, let me help you." Emmy held her hand out to the girl.

"Will you play with me?" Caroline asked again.

"Yes, I will play with you. Let's first get out of this place." Emmy answered.

"The door won't open."

Emmy turned to Caroline, confused by her statement. "What?"

"The door only opens one way. You can't get out once you come in." Caroline explained.

Emmy turned to the door and was surprised to find it missing. "Is there another way out?" Emmy asked.

"Come and play with me." Caroline showed a ghoulish smile.

Emmy was getting uncomfortable with the girls constant pleas for her to play. "Why do you want me to-"

"Play."

"Why are you-"

"You agreed to play, so now it's time to play." Caroline laughed.

"Listen, we need to get out of this room. We don't have time to play right now," Emmy explained.

_"Tick tock_  
_Come play."_

"Why are you-?" Emmy began.

_"Tick tock_  
_Come my way."_

Caroline's face suddenly appeared contorted.

_"Tick tock_  
_Why be shy?"_

He'd fingers grew longer as razor-sharp claws protruded from her finger tips. Black forms took shape behind her, forming long, rigid wings.

_"Tick tock_  
_Time will fly."_

Emmy took a step back as Caroline continued her disturbing song. Caroline smiled, showing a row of pointed teeth, and Emmy noticed fangs hanging lower than the others.

_"Tick tock_  
_Why so afraid?"_

Emmy felt her heartbeat quicken as Caroline's eyes began to shine unmistakably red. The little girl began to laugh uncontrollably.

_"Tick tock_  
_Should have played."_

Caroline moved forward towards Emmy, licking her lips with a long, pointed tongue. Emmy felt for door again, hoping to find a way to bring it back.

_"Tick tock_  
_Dinner time"_

Emmy glared at the thing before her. "What are you?"

_"Tick tock_  
_YOU ARE MINE!"_

Caroline smiled and let out a horrid screech. Emmy quickly shielded her ears from the horrid noise as Caroline lurched forward, ready to attack.

**-o-**

"P-Professor? E-Emmy? Where are y-you?"

Luke could not stop shaking upon realizing both Layton and Emmy had gone missing. He was terrified that his dream was coming true.

"P-Please, please don't be dead..." Luke muttered to himself as he wiped away a tear.

Luke had been walking down the hallway for a while now, unable to see a thing through the dark. He was hoping to find anything- a door, a table, maybe even a lamp- but there was nothing in the hall with him. He held him arms out in front of him and felt around. Soon, he found a door directly in front of him. He smiled as he opened the door, stepping inside the room.

"Wait a minute..." Luke stared in what was most definitely not a room. He was standing outside, and stretched out as far as the eyes could see, was a graveyard.

Luke turned around and ran back for the door. He let out a gasp when it slammed shut behind him. He pulled at the door with all of his strength, but he found it locked.

"Why do the doors always lock here?" Luke questioned.

Luke turned back around, his wide, terrified eyes staring at the misty area behind him. His breathing quickened as he thought about all of the things that could be hiding behind the gravestones before him.

Realizing he had no way of entering the hotel in this area, Luke walked forward, entering the mouth of the graveyard. From the left and right, he could see a tall, metal fence surrounding him.

"There is no such thing as ghosts. There is no such thing as ghosts. There is no such thing as ghosts," Luke chanted to himself in order to calm his nerves.

Luke nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard a moan behind him. He spun around and was met by a misty figure.

"Hello there." The figure whispered.

The hairs on the back of Luke's neck stood on end as he screamed, "GHOST!"

The figure laughed. "Scared are we? That's understandable."

Luke backed up as he took in the ghost's appearance. It was a tall man. He had short, messy hair and large eyes. He wore an old looking outfit, perhaps from the 1800's. The man smiled as he continued to laugh at the frightened boy.

Luke took another step back as the ghost moved forward. "Don't be afraid," It murmured. "I'm not going to hurt you...much."

Luke let out a scream and ran as the ghost followed closely behind him.

**-o-**

"Where did Luke and Emmy go?"

The Professor could not stop questioning his friends' well being. The last time he left them alone, they were attacked by a doll and Emmy was locked in a room with spiders. He needed to find them before something else happened.

Layton was walking blindly down the hallway, still unable to locate either of his friends. Suddenly, he sensed someone's presence behind him. Before he could turn and ask who they were, a sharp pain ran through the back of his neck. His vision blurred for a moment, then his head began to swirl. He leaned against the wall for a moment, watching his vision slowly return.

"What on earth?"

"_Hershel_," a voice called.

"Hm?" Layton turned around as he heard the voice behind him. "Who's there?"

"Hershel."

Layton turned around, meeting the face of a woman. It was hard to see her as it was currently pitch black, but he could tell she was smiling, beaconing him to follow her.

Layton took a step forward as the woman turned, walking away from him. He could have sworn he had seen this woman before...

"Come on, Hershel. Keep up," The woman laughed.

Layton raised an eyebrow as he did as the she asked. They walked to the end of the hallway, then took a right turn. The woman led the Professor down another hall, then stopped in front of a door. She nodded her head towards the door. "Go on, open it."

Layton stepped forward, doing as the woman requested. He found it difficult to turn the door handle, but after a slight struggle, he managed to pry it open.

The Professor walked into a dark room. He noticed the woman move to the left as she touched something. Lights suddenly flowed throughout the room, revealing its contents. Layton gasped, as he realized the identity of the woman.

"C-Claire?"

"It's nice to see you again, Hershel," Claire smiled.

"How are you..." Layton faltered. He was at a loss for words. He hadn't seen Claire since the dreadful accident... the accident that cost her life. How was she standing in front of him?

Claire frowned. "Did you not miss me?"

"Of course I did. But, how are you here?" Layton questioned.

"I've missed you, so much," Claire stated, taking a step forward.

"I-I've missed you as well," Layton muttered, feeling a tear fall from his cheek to the floor.

Claire frowned, showing a distressed expression. "Why didn't you save me?"

"Hm?" Layton questioned.

"You weren't there when I needed you. You let me die," Claire shook her head.

"Claire, I had no idea that you would... I wish I could have stopped it from happening," Layton responded, slightly taken aback by Claire's words.

"You could have stopped me! You could have made me stay with you instead of going to the lab! You could have stopped it!" Claire exclaimed.

Layton frowned, "Claire...I'm sorry-"

"You're sorry? Does that help any? Well does it, Hershel?" Claire demanded.

"Well, no..." Layton began.

"I died, Hershel. I DIED! And we're you there to stop it? Were you there to protect me, to save my life? NO! You weren't there when I needed you most!" Claire's yelled, her face growing red with rage.

"Claire, if I could have done anything to stop it, you know I would have," Layton stated.

"But you didn't, and that's just it! You failed me, Hershel. You failed me just like you failed your friends!" Claire proclaimed.

"Wait, what do you mean?" Layton questioned.

"You failed your little companions. That assistant and apprentice, you weren't there for them when they needed you, just like me," Claire answered, refusing to show any signs of sympathy.

"What! Where are Luke and Emmy?" Layton asked, mentally panicking as he wondered what could have become of them.

Claire turned to her right, pointing and staring at the ground. Layton followed her gaze, gasping.

"My word..."

* * *

**_AUTHOR'S NOTE: I hope you enjoyed chapter 7! I kind of managed to make myself tear up while writing the last bit... I will try to update as soon as possible! :)_**


	8. Battle in the Hotel

**-Chapter 8: Battle in the Hotel-**

Layton looked down and noticed two figures sprawled out on the floor. "My word..." He muttered.

He turned to Claire. "That isn't..."

Claire nodded, "I told you, you failed them."

The Professor turned back to the floor and ran towards the figures. He noticed bright yellow and pale blue pajamas.

"Emmy? Luke?"

Layton hovered over the bodies of his assistants. Neither one was moving, or breathing for that matter. They were both lying on their stomachs, leaving their backs facing the Professor.

Layton touched Emmy's shoulder and turned her over. Her frame was cold and unmoving. Her curly hair was lain across the floor behind her head, and her dark eyes stared blankly above.

Layton turned Luke over as well. His hair was in a mess, and his eyes remained closed. The Professor felt tears form in his eyes as he stared at his close friends, frozen on the floor.

"What happened here?" Layton questioned. It was as if Luke and Emmy had simply dropped dead.

"You would know if you were there," Claire haughtily answered.

Layton looked up, his tears shining in his dark, sad eyes. "Claire..."

"Don't 'Claire' me!" She snapped. "You heard what I said!"

"What is wrong with you?" Layton questioned. "You never acted like this, not in the time I knew you."

"Death can change the way you act, Hershel," Claire responded.

Layton looked back at Emmy and Luke. "You might as well give up, Hershel. You have already lost," Claire murmered.

"Lost what?" Layton questioned.

Claire shook her head, muttering something about a "dense dimwit". "Must I spell it out for you? How can you protect your friends while trying to solve this mystery? They were harmed the moment they set foot here, and look at what it lead to!"

The Professor sighed, refusing to look away from his companions. "I-I'm so s-sorry... This is all my fault..."

**-o-**

"Hold still. This will be quick," Caroline smirked.

Emmy moved to her right as Caroline jumped towards her, eyes flaring in anger.

"No thank you," Emmy snapped back. Caroline frowned and ran for Emmy, claws raised high in the air. She slashed at her, missing by a mile.

"I told you to play, and you remained unamused. I tell you to hold still, and you refused. Why are you so difficult?" Caroline hissed.

"Why are you so determined to hurt me?" Emmy questioned.

Caroline smiled, running towards Emmy again. "That's what happens when people refuse to play with me. They soon regret it when they see what they have come to be," She slashed at Emmy's stomach, though only managed to leave a gash in the wall.

"Do you seriously expect people to play with you when you try to kill them?" Emmy demanded.

"That's the rules of the game," Caroline explained. "It's amusing to see how long people can survive against me."

Emmy yelped as Caroline's claws met her right shoulder. The creature smiled as she stared at the blood running down the woman's arm. "It's so pretty, isn't it?"

Emmy shuddered as she watched Caroline lick the blood off of her claws. She then sent a disturbed look towards the deranged girl as she held her bleeding arm. Caroline pounced again, nearly cutting Emmy's forehead.

"You are the first person who actually fought against me. You are much more fun to play with," Caroline smirked.

Emmy didn't respond as she dodged Caroline's claws once again. She glanced around, hoping she could locate an exit. She noticed a light, rectangular shape in the wall.

_That appears promising_, Emmy thought as she dodged another hit from Caroline. _Wait, isn't that where the door was?_

_"In the meadows,_  
_In the shadows,_  
_Creatures lurk,_  
_What a perk!"_

"Why do you sing those songs?" Emmy questioned as she dodged another one of Caroline's hits.

"They make me feel happy, oh so very _happy_," Caroline snarled, not caring how strange her answer was.

"Of course they do..." Emmy shifted to her right as Caroline jumped to her left.

_"Why act so wired?_  
_Don't have a fit._  
_Aren't you tired?_  
_Calm down and sit._  
_Let's rest awhile._  
_Do you want to eat?_  
_Don't be hostile._  
_Stay fresh meat,"_ Caroline sang.

"You really need a new hobby," Emmy stated.

Caroline hissed, showing her fangs, before striking. Again, she missed Emmy, only leaving another scratch in the wall.

Emmy ran for the light spot on the wall, standing in front of it and turning to face Caroline.

_"Nowhere to run_  
_This is the end._  
_Oh, it's been fun._  
_Goodbye, my friend_," Caroline whispered, giggling to herself.

The girl lurched forward, just as Emmy ran to the left. Caroline hit the wall, causing it to fall down with her. Emmy cautiously moved towards the girl, smiling slightly when she realized that Caroline had knocked herself out. Emmy looked back at the door- shaped hole in the wall. "So that's where the door went."

Emmy jumped over the girl's twitching body and began to walk back down the hall to search for Luke and the Professor. "Oh great, they could be anywhere by now..."

"Y-You- Get back here!"

Emmy jerked back around as Caroline stood up. She looked extremely angry. "You shouldn't have done that!"

Emmy took this as her cue to run away as fast as she could.

**-o-**

"HELP ME!" Luke yelled.

"No one can hear you, little boy," The ghost whispered.

"Please leave me alone!" Luke exclaimed, looking back at the ghost still floating after him.

"Now, why would I do that?" The ghost sniggered.

"Be-Because it's not worth the trouble!" Luke exclaimed.

"How do you know?" The ghost asked. "It's not a trouble for someone who has been sitting in this blasted graveyard for countless years."

Luke whimpered. "Please stop chasing me! I don't taste good!" He yelled out.

"Now, now, little boy, I don't plan to eat you," The ghost explained.

"T-Then why are y-you following m-me?" Luke panted as he began to run out of breath.

"I plan to_ destroy_ you," The ghost laughed.

Luke whimpered as he continued to run with the ghost hot on his tail. He glanced ahead and noticed an open gate not too far away.

_Maybe I can reach the hotel and find the Professor and Emmy_, Luke thought to himself. _Oh, please don't let the ghost catch me first!_

"Where are you going, little boy?" The ghost questioned.

Luke didn't respond as the gate grew closer by the second. His legs grew heavy under his weight, making it extremely difficult to run. He ran past the gate as his lungs began to burn.

"Come back here, little boy," The ghost's voiced echoed behind.

Luke didn't listen as he felt his legs slacken up. He was really tired from all of the running. With his breaths growing deeper by the minute, Luke continued to run for his life.

"Are you done chasing now?" Luke yelled at the ghost.

The ghost replied with a laugh, "Definatley not, little boy!"

Luke sighed. This ghost sure was persistent. He suddenly gasped in relief when he noticed the front door of the hotel was in front of him. He grabbed the door handle, turned it, and darted inside. He didn't notice the ghost dissappear behind him for a moment before reappearing.

"Little boy, you aren't getting away from me that easily!" The ghost proclaimed.

Luke's side rammed into a table as he ran down the darkened halls. He clutched his side as it seared in pain, refusing to slow his pace until he was away from the floating monster behind him. Luke bit his bottom lip to stop a whimper from escaping. "Professor, where are you?" He murmured.

Luke could barely breathe from all the running. He began to feel lightheaded as he turned a corner, slamming against something. Luke flew to the floor, along with an unknown being.

"Ow..."

Luke sat up, rubbing the knot now forming on his forehead. He suddenly realized who he had run into. "Emmy!"

Emmy sat up and let a sigh of relief escape her lips. "Luke! I'm so glad I found you!"

Luke lurched forward to hug Emmy. "I thought you were the ghost!"

"The ghost? What ghost?" Emmy questioned.

Both Emmy and Luke's eyes grew wide as they cried in unison, "Behind you!"

Caroline and the ghost hovered over the duo, both smiling devious smiles.

"Hey, little boy, who's your friend?" The ghost laughed.

"Hm... Looks like we have someone to join in the game. Oh what fun! Perhaps it won't be as lame," Caroline sneered.

"Emmy...Should we run?" Luke asked.

"Yes!" Emmy jumped up, grabbing Luke's arm and dragging him along with her as she ran.

"Emmy, why does that girl rhyme when she talks?" Luke questioned.

"Don't ask, just run," Emmy answered, pulling Luke around a sharp turn.

"Where's the Professor?"

"I wish I knew..."

**-o-**

Layton sat beside Emmy and Luke, staring down, depressed and speechless.

It didn't make sense. How could Luke and Emmy be dead?

Layton stood and glanced around. Nothing seemed out of place, but something didn't feel right. Surely Emmy and Luke hadn't been killed in the short time they had been separated. And why were their bodies so cold?

The Professor turned back to face Claire. "What aren't you telling me?"

Claire smirked. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Layton turned back around, imediately finding the breath knocked out of him as his head hit the floor. His vision blurred again, and it took moment for it to clear completely. When he opened his eyes, he was staring into the frightened faces of Luke and Emmy, who were both lying on top of him.

"Professor! Are we ever glad we found you!" Emmy exclaimed.

"I'm glad you're not hurt!" Luke added.

Layton, overcome with relief, quickly pulled both Luke and Emmy into a hug. "I'm glad you both are safe."

"Uh, Professor? Why is there another Emmy and me?" Luke questioned, pointing at the figures lying behind them.

Before Layton could answer, Caroline's screech pierced through the air, causing the trio to jump. "I could have sworn that we lost her," Emmy muttered.

Caroline and the ghost stood in the doorway, blocking the trio's exit. The two creatures then moved aside, allowing a third to step forward. Layton held Luke and Emmy closer as Luke hid his face from the menacing being. The Nightmare smiled down at them, his eyes glowing in amusement.

"Consider this a warning," He hissed. "Leave this town, or you will regret it."

The Nightmare turned, gesturing for Caroline and the ghost to follow. They exited, just as the lamp light went out, leaving Layton, Emmy, and Luke in the dark yet again.

The trio sat in silence for a while, before Luke broke it with a question. "P-Professor? What are we going to do?"

Layton sighed. "For now, I suggest we try to find our room before anything else."

Layton helped his assistants up, refusing to look back at the fake carcasses behind him. Someone was determined to scare them away, but who? And why?

* * *

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I hope you enjoyed chapter 8. I will update soon:)**_


	9. A Moment of Peace

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I am sorry that I took so long to update! I was not expecting this week to turn out as busy as it did. I finally managed to get on the computer and post this chapter. Enjoy!**_

* * *

**-A Moment of Peace-**

Professor Layton, Luke, and Emmy safely returned to their hotel room, each quite shaken by the past events. Luke silently sat on his bed, staring down at the floor. The poor boy was having a really rough night.

The Professor stared at the terrified boy, shaking his head in concern. He then turned to Emmy, noticing that she was holding her arm. "My dear, are you injured?"

"Oh this?" Emmy moved her hand to show a deep gash in her shoulder, courtesy of Caroline's claws. "It's just a scratch. It will be fine."

Layton shook his head. "Emmy, that is far worse than just a scratch. Here, let's clean that up."

"I'm fine, really. It's not too deep," Emmy protested as the Professor lead her to the bed, gesturing for her to sit.

"It's deep enough. We don't want an infection, now do we?" Layton crossed his arms.

"Professor-"

"Emmy, we are not leaving your arm like this," Layton stated firmly.

Emmy sighed in defeat. "Okay, okay... What are you going to clean it with?"

"I will see if I can retrieve a first aid kit from the front desk. Will you and Luke be alright alone for a few minutes?" Layton questioned, obviously concerned.

"We'll be fine, don't worry," Emmy smiled.

"Alight, I'll be right back," Layton stated, opening the door and stepping out.

Emmy looked over at Luke, who was curled up in a ball on the bed. "Luke, are you okay?"

Luke glanced up at Emmy. "Not really..."

Emmy sighed. "I know... You have been through a lot tonight."

"I don't get it..." Luke murmured.

"Hm?" Emmy questioned.

"Why did the Nightmare attack the Laytonmobile the first night if he wants us to leave now?" Luke asked.

Emmy sat for a moment, processing Luke's words. That was a very good question, and it didn't make much sense. Who would attack someone, leaving them stranded in a town, and then command they leave? It didn't add up...

Layton opened the door and stepped in, first aid kit in hand. He headed to the bathroom, retrieving a wet washcloth, then returned to the room. "Let's fix that cut, Emmy."

Emmy nodded, scooting over as the Professor sat down next to her. He opened the kit, rummaging through it until he found bandages. He carefully rolled Emmy's sleeve up, examining the deep claw marks etched into his assistant's arm. Picking up the washcloth, Layton began cleaning the wound. Emmy grimaced as the cloth made contact with the raw skin.

"Sorry, my dear. This will sting a little," Layton stated, trying not to rub the wound roughly.

"It's fine... How bad is it?" Emmy questioned.

"It's deep, but I believe it will be fine as long as we clean it well," Layton answered.

Emmy sighed in relief at the answer. "My arm won't fall off? That's good to hear."

Layton chuckled at her comment. Emmy turned slightly, looking into his eyes. "Professor, were you attacked as well? I didn't see anything there with you."

Layton stopped suddenly, a little surprised by Emmy's question. He looked down as he gave his answer. "I saw you and Luke. You were both...motionless. I was lead to believe that you were..."

Emmy cocked her head to the side as she waiting for the rest of the response. "We were what?"

"I thought you were both..._dead_," Layton finished.

Emmy seemed stunned by the answer. "I see..."

Layton cleared his throat, grabbing the bandages. "I don't quite understand what exactly is going on in this town."

"Neither do I, but I'm sure you will figure it out soon enough. You always do," Emmy stated.

Layton laughed as he began wrapping the bandages around Emmy's shoulder. "We will need to investigate a bit more."

Emmy turned around as she heard a snore. Luke had fallen asleep, currently mumbling something about a roast lamb.

"I promise won't let anything happen to you two," Layton spoke.

Emmy turned back to the Professor, staring into his conflicted face. "I know."

"I mean it, I won't let you two get hurt. You have been through enough already," Layton frowned, bowing his head.

Emmy placed her hand under Layton's chin, pushing it upwards so they were face to face, staring into each others eyes. "I know you won't."

"I really thought I had lost you two earlier," Layton mumbled.

"But you didn't lose us. It wasn't real," Emmy stated.

"What if I do lose you? What will I do?" Layton questioned.

Emmy wrapped her arms around the Professor, pulling him into a hug. "You're not going to lose us."

Layton returned the hug, making sure he didn't touch Emmy's hurt arm. "I suppose I'm just worrying too much."

"Considering what happened, I don't blame you for worrying ," Emmy stated.

Layton smiled, running his hand through Emmy's curly hair. "Thank you, Emmy."

"For what?" Emmy questioned.

"For being here. For listening to my meaningless rambling," Layton explained.

Emmy smiled, pulling away so she could look at him, "I am willing to listen to any rambling you may have."

"I'm sure you are," Layton smirked. He then took her arm and finished wrapping the bandages around it.

When he had finished, Emmy grinned in thanks. Layton wrapped his arm around her as she laid her head on his shoulder. "Do you think we may be able to sleep without something else attacking us?" Emmy questioned.

"I have a feeling the Nightmare is finished for tonight," Layton answered.

"Good," Emmy yawned, closing her eyes. "I'm awfully tired."

Layton chuckled. "I think we should retire for the night." He was met with Emmy's heavy breathing as a response. She had already fallen asleep, still leaning on his shoulder.

Layton smiled, moving a stray strand of hair out of her face. "Goodnight, my dear."

**-o-**

"Professor, wake up!"

Layton cracked one eye open, barely recognizing the confused look of Luke. He had his arms wrapped around something lying on his chest. Layton opened his eyes in surprise, realizing he was holding Emmy, who was still asleep.

"What are you two doing?" Luke questioned.

Layton sat up slightly, causing Emmy to stir and mutter, "Ugh...It's too early..."

Layton tried to move Emmy without waking her up, which did not work. She opened her eyes, blushing as she realized she had fallen asleep on the Professor. The two sat up abruptly, inching away from each other, both blushing madly.

"Um... Where should we investigate today?" Luke asked in an attempt to make things less awkward. He was a bit weirded out upon finding the Professor and Emmy snuggled together.

Layton cleared his throat. "I believe we should interview some of the townspeople. They may be able to give us some more details on the Nightmare."

"That sounds good," Emmy mumbled.

"Okay, let's get ready then!" Luke exclaimed, running for the bathroom in order to get changed.

Emmy stood up, walking to her suitcase and picking out her usual outfit for the day. The Professor just stared at her, watching her every move. _She is amazing. If anything ever happened to her... I don't know if I could lose her as I lost...Claire..._

"Professor?"

"Hm?" Layton shook his head, noticing Emmy looking at him. "Oh, sorry, my dear."

Emmy laughed at his embarrassed look. "Don't think I didn't notice you staring. You still look worried though."

"I am worried," Layton responded.

"There is no need to be," Emmy walked across the room, standing in front of the Professor. "I know you won't let anything happen to us."

Emmy then leaned in, planting a kiss on the Professor's cheek. She giggled at his flustered expression, walking to the bathroom to get changed after Luke exited. Layton sat silently, dumbfounded. He only had one thought-

_Wow._

* * *

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I hope you enjoyed chapter 9! Yet again, we are leaving for Tennessee in the morning, and I may not be able to get a chance to update. I may be able to borrow my mom's friend's laptop, but if not I will update sometime the week after this coming week. Sorry for the wait! :/**_


	10. Tick Tock, Survive the Clock

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I am so sorry that this chapter took so long! My trip ended up lasting a week and a half, and I had no laptop to update on! I have finally returned and possess and update! :)**_

* * *

**-Chapter 10: Tick Tock, Survive the Clock-**

"So you're telling me that a rabbit tried to eat you?" Emmy looked at the woman in front of her as if she had grown a third eye.

"Yes. It was terrifying! I have always been afraid of rabbits, ever since my childhood, but I never dreamed that one would attack me!" The woman exclaimed, thrashing her arms around for emphasis.

"Alright...Thank you, I believe that's all of the information I need," Emmy mumbled.

"Of course, just...let me know when you solve this case, please!" The woman begged with a ragged breath.

"I promise, I will let you know once we figure everything out," Emmy smiled, waving at the woman as she ran back to the Professor and Luke.

"Are you sure the Nightmare doesn't make people go completely bonkers as well as scare them?" Emmy asked the Professor.

"Why would you ask that?" Layton questioned.

"I don't recall bunnies being vicious..." Emmy muttered.

Layton raised an eyebrow at Emmy's strange comment, being interrupted by Luke before he could ask any further.

"Professor? Haven't we finished yet? We have already asked half of the town what they have seen!" Luke stated, clearly running low on patience.

The trio had returned to the center of town, asking anyone they could find about the Nightmare. So far they had several witnesses, each claiming that they were attacked by something they feared. Snakes, birds, watering cans, bricks, garden gnomes- these were the normal claims from the witnesses.

"Where to next, Professor?" Emmy questioned.

Layton glanced to his right, noticing a young blonde emerge from a store nearby. Luke followed the Professor's gaze, gasping as he realized who it was. "Isn't that Lacy?"

"Why is she coming out of a clock shop?" Emmy questioned.

"Let's find out!" Luke exclaimed.

"Now Luke, you cannot barge into a person's business- Luke!" Layton sighed as the excited boy ran towards the blonde.

"Lacy!"

The girl jumped in surprise at the boy's shouts, nearly dropping a paper bad she was holding. "Jeez, shorty! Are you trying to make me drop this?"

Luke crossed his arms, "I'm not that short!"

Lacy laughed, "You look pretty small to me! You must have an awful time trying to ride big kid rides at the fair."

Luke scowled. "Humph! I don't have problems riding big rides! Most of the time..."

Lacy chucked as Luke bowed his head in embarrassment. Emmy and Layton walked up behind the boy, the Professor shaking his head in disapproval. "Luke, what did I just tell you?"

Luke stared up at the Professor with innocent eyes, "But I wasn't prying into her business!"

Lacy laughed again, "So you're trying to ask me for information now? I've heard that you were asking around. Go ahead, ask me whatever."

"Have you seen the Nightmare?" Luke blurted out.

"The Nightmare? Yeah, I've seen him. Tried to scare the life out of my brother Marcus!" Lacy shook her head in distress.

"Do you know why the Nightmare is attacking the town?" Emmy questioned.

"Who knows. It just showed up one day, know one really knows why," Lacy explained.

Luke looked curiously at the bag Lacy held. "May I ask, why were you coming out of a clock shop?"

Lacy chuckled slightly. "Oh that? My mom found one of our clocks shattered earlier this morning. Someone must have bumped it last night, though I personally think it was Marcus."

Luke gave an awkward smile as he rubbed the back of his head nervously. He vaguely remembered bumping into a wall and hearing something break last night, but he was too busy running from a ghost to notice.

"Anyways, is that all? I need to pick up a few groceries before I get back to hotel," Lacy stated.

"Yes, thank you. You were most helpful," Layton nodded.

Lacy smiled, giving a slight nod in return before she turned to leave.

"So I guess no one knows why the Nightmare showed up," Emmy mumbled.

"It's very curious..." Layton added.

"Shall we ask the owner of the clock shop about it?" Luke questioned.

"I don't see why not," Layton replied, turning and walking to the door. Emmy and Luke followed close behind as the Professor opened the door and entered.

The trio stood in the doorway, staring at several clocks hanging on the walls of the one room store. The entire place was completely silent, none of the clocks would create even the smallest tick. Luke held back a shiver as Emmy walked inside the eerie room.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" Emmy called out.

A young man jumped up from behind the counter near the back left wall. He pushed his round glasses up the bridge of his nose so he could see the visitors. His red hair was in a mess, and he looked like he had just been woken up from a nap.

"Er, hello there. My name is Jonathan. May I help you?" He asked awkwardly.

"Yes, we were wondering if you could answer a few questions for us," Layton began.

"Is this about the Nightmare?" Jonathan asked.

"Do you know anything about it?" Emmy asked.

"Most people around these parts do. It enjoys torturing the lot of us. He even has this shop rigged to- Hold on what time is it?" Jonathan looked around nervously.

"You work at a clock shop, yet you don't know the time?" Emmy asked.

"Well, these clocks have a mind of their own..." Jonathan muttered.

Jonathan jumped as one clock began to chime, letting anyone in earshot know that it was one in the afternoon. His eyes widened as he fell to the floor, yelling "Duck!"

Suddenly, all of the clocks began to ring in unison, each shaking violently. A bird flew out of a coo coo clock, knocking Luke's hat off of his head. As he bent over to retrieve it, another clock flew off the wall, barely missing his head. Layton and Emmy both dropped down as two matching clocks flew towards them. The trio hovered on their knees, ducking as clocks flew all around the store. Several clocks slammed against the walls, shattering and sending glass and clockwork towards the room's inhabitants.

The Professor covered Luke's head as the clocks continued to fly around. He couldn't quite believe that a room so quiet a few seconds ago was now thrown into pure chaos. He guessed that this must be the Nightmare's handiwork.

Jonathan hid behind the desk, shaking and whimpering in fear. He yelped and backed away quickly as a clock fell next to him, sending a spring towards him. Another clock fell, landing in between his legs. The terrified man jumped and crawled backwards until he ran into Emmy. He slunk in between Emmy and Layton, grabbing their arms and jerking them around as he yelled, "Please, Please make it stop!"

As if on cue, the clocks froze, then one by one fell to the floor. As a defending crash sounded, glass, springs, clock hands, and other pieces of clockwork exploaded in all directions, leaving the group huddled on the floor to cover their heads and faces so they wouldn't get cut. After a moment, the room returned to silence. The floor was a complete mess, covered in the remains of the many clocks.

"Not again..." Jonathan muttered.

"Again? This has happened before?" Layton asked, letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"Y-Yes...It's happened the past three days at one in the afternoon...I'm running out of clocks to put on display! If this doesn't stop soon, I'm going to go out of business and be forced to move!" Jonathan exclaimed, thrashing his arms around in anger.

"Why don't you just tie the clocks down?" Emmy asked, brushing glass out of her hair.

"I've tried that already. One of the clock hands tried to turn me into a shish kabob," Jonathan explained as he rolled up his sleeve to show a bandaged arm.

"Is there anyway to make the clocks stop?" Luke questioned in a shaky tone.

"I don't know. Unless the Nightmare is stopped, I don't believe this will end. It may be best if I go ahead and leave this town while I still can," Jonathan murmured sadly.

Jonathan stood up, brushing off his clothes and readjusting his glasses. He walked over to the desk, picking up a handful of keys. "Sorry folks, the store is closed. I need to clean this mess again..."

"I'm very sorry about your store," Layton apologized. "Thank you for your time."

Jonathan nodded, but said no more. He lead the trio to the door, then locked it behind them after they exited.

"Well, that was interesting," Emmy commented.

"I feel bad for Jonathan..." Luke muttered.

Emmy brushed a clock hand off of Luke's hat. "At least we didn't get injured by the clocks."

"Why is the Nightmare doing all of this?" Luke questioned.

"It seems like he is trying to scare everyone away from town," Layton stated.

"But why?" Emmy asked.

"I'm not sure. Perhaps we can shed some light on the Nightmares intentions soon," Layton answered.

Emmy noticed someone running quickly towards them. "Uh, Professor-"

"Professor Layton!"

Layton turned to see the mayor running towards him. The man stopped abruptly in front of him, pausing to catch his breath. "Professor, I'm begging you, please help me! It's Carrie, she's missing!"

* * *

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I hope you enjoyed chapter 10! Also, just to let you know, I begin school Monday, so I can't promise that updates will be as frequent as I would like them to be. I will at least have an update once or twice a week, depending on how busy I am. I will update soon though! :)**_


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